The present invention relates to collecting data for a geographic database and more particularly, the present invention relates to a feature of a data collection system that enables a researcher, who travels through a geographic area collecting data to define a profile of one or more attributes of one or more geographic features and then have these attributes automatically applied to a database record that represents each new geographic feature as it is encountered, thereby eliminating the need on the part of the researcher to separately specify each attribute.
Geographic databases have various uses. For example, geographic databases are used in in-vehicle navigation systems, personal computers, networked computing environments, and various other kinds of platforms, as well as on the Internet. Geographic databases are used with various kinds of applications to provide various functions, including map display, route calculation, route guidance, truck fleet deployment, traffic control, electronic yellow pages, emergency services, and so on.
In order to provide these kinds of functions, a geographic database includes data that represent geographic features in a covered geographic region. Geographic databases include details about represented geographic features, such as the geographic coordinates of roads in a geographic region, speed limits along the road segments, locations of stop lights, turn restrictions at intersections of roads, address ranges, street names, and so on. Geographic databases may also include information about points of interest in covered regions. Points of interest may include restaurants, hotels, airports, gas stations, stadiums, police stations, and so on.
Collecting information for a geographic database is a significant task. Not only is the initial collection of data a significant undertaking, but a geographic database needs to be updated on a regular basis. For example, new streets are constructed, street names change, traffic lights are installed, turn restrictions are added to existing roads, and so on. Also, new levels of detail may be added about geographic features that are already represented in an existing geographic database. For example, an existing geographic database for roads may be enhanced with information about lane widths, shoulder sizes, lane barriers, address ranges, sidewalks, bicycles paths, etc. Thus, there exists a need to continue to collect information for a geographic database.
According to one method, technicians (referred to herein as xe2x80x9cresearchersxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cusersxe2x80x9d) are assigned the task of collecting data for a geographic database. Each researcher may physically travel throughout an assigned area and record information about observed geographic features. While in the field, the researcher may record the observed information by physically writing on a printed copy of a map. For example, the researcher may write a description about an attribute of a geographic feature adjacent to the representation of the geographic feature on the map. After the data are collected in the field, the researcher uses a computer program to enter data to a main copy of the geographic database. Working from the marked-up printed copy of the map, the researcher makes additions and/or changes to the data in the geographic database to reflect the actual geographic features observed while out in the field.
Although this process works well, there is room for improvement. For example, writing descriptions of geographic features onto a printed copy of a map can be time-consuming. Also, it can be difficult to write information legibly while traveling in a moving vehicle.
Computerized data collection techniques for acquiring certain types of geographic data are known. Several methods and systems for collecting geographic data are disclosed in Ser. Nos. 09/256,389, 09/335,122, 09/426,036, 09/426,341 and 09/691,308 the entire disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein.
Although the computerized data collection systems disclosed in these copending patent applications facilitate collection of geographic data, there continues to be room for improvement. As navigation systems and other vehicle systems that use geographic data (such as advanced safety systems like adaptive cruise control and obstacle avoidance) become more sophisticated, there is a need to collect more geographic data as well as different types of data. The amount of data being collected by a technician can become burdensome even with computerized data collection systems.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide an improved method and system for collecting data for a geographic database.
To address these and other objectives, the present invention comprises a feature provided by a data collection system that can be used by a database researcher. As the database researcher travels through a geographic area and observes geographic features (such as roads), the database researcher uses the data collection system to collect and store data that represent attributes of the geographic features.
The data collection system includes a dynamic profiling feature. The dynamic profiling feature derives from a recognition that road attributes tend to be location-consistent. Using the dynamic profiling feature of the data collection system, the database researcher defines a profile of one or more attributes of one or more geographic features. The profile is stored in a memory of the data collection system. Then, as the database researcher travels through the geographic area and new geographic features are encountered, the data collection system automatically applies these attributes to each new geographic feature, thereby eliminating the need on the part of the database researcher to separately specify each attribute of a newly encountered geographic feature. If the database researcher determines that the attributes in the stored profile are not appropriate for a geographic feature, the database researcher can override the profile attributes and store the appropriate attributes.